Implementing innovations is a challenging, high-risk task for many organizations. Dr Sawang examines the implementation of various innovations in manufacturing and non-manufacturing contexts. This thesis used the current best practice in structural equation modelling techniques to empirically test the model of implementation effectiveness in both Australian and Thai firms. Commitment from top managers, provision of implementation policies and practices, positive climate and skilful and talented staff enhanced successful implementation. Dr Sawang’s research contributes to a more rigorously tested and comprehensive model of implementation effectiveness.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is one element in a broad spectrum of skills that enable managers to create value for their organisation and themselves. Since Salovey and Mayer's (1990) seminal article on the concept, and its popularisation in a social science book of the same name (Gibbs 1995; Goleman 1995), emotional intelligence has emerged in several different models and measures. Matthews et al. (2002) outlined three contexts for the study of emotional intelligence: psychometric, theoretical, and applied. The focus of this study is on measurement and applied use of emotional intelligence; where the “underlying EI is the impetus to improve emotional functioning in real life” (Matthews et al. 2002, p. 27). To the author's knowledge, no independent studies have measured the emotional intelligence of managers in Singapore. Equally, little is known about the perceptions of managers and senior executives on the influence and importance of emotional intelligence in organisations in Singapore. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2006.

Globalisation has elevated knowledge to become the prime source of competitive advantage. Because knowledge is derived from learning, management concepts such as the Learning Organisation (LO) started to gain popularity in the early 1990s. However, attention in the LO concept has declined since the mid-1990s. At the same time, there is a lack of relevant literature to guide practitioners in manufacturing organisations such as those in Malaysia which need to become LOs but do not know how to do so in their transition into the knowledge-based economy. Hence, three separate but interlinked papers on the application of LO concept were written as a contribution to revive interest and to assist practitioners on LO implementation. To show how Papers 1, 2 and 3 relate to each other, they have been integrated into this paper as the literature review, the first empirical study and the second empirical study respectively. / The literature review looked at the causes of the reduced interest in the LO concept and suggested some empirical research opportunities to revive it. Consequently, two empirical studies were conducted based on a common theoretical grounding and sample. The first study addressed the role of organisation size on the LO implementation by analysing the extent of presence of LO characteristics between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises (LEs) in the Malaysian electrical and electronic (E & E) industry. Because the industry is dominated by foreign multinational enterprises (MNEs), this research also looked at the role of ownership by doing a similar analysis between foreign-owned enterprises and Malaysian-owned enterprises. From the findings, it was concluded that organisation size and ownership do not cause any significant perceived difference among organisations in their practice of LO characteristics. The second study tackled the perceived lack of usefulness of the LO by testing for a correlation between the LO characteristics and organisational performance and for significant difference in organisational performance between LOs and non-LOs. The findings confirmed that LO characteristics correlate positively with organisational performance, resulting in LOs achieving significantly better organisational performance compared to non-LOs. / Thesis DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2004.

Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2004.

Thesis (MEd (Human Resource Studies)) -- University of South Australia, 1994

Thesis (M Ed)--University of South Australia, 1995

Risk analysis using likelihood or probability and consequence (L x C) is prone to both methodological and application errors. This contributes to difficulties in achieving risk reduction. As an alternative to the L x C model, this study reviews risk and control effectiveness within the Australian extractive minerals industry. It draws on existing models, locally and internationally, and their application in other industry contexts. The study contends that control effectiveness is more useful and beneficial than L x C alone in determining ‘acceptable’ risk. This hypothesis is substantiated by the development of an alternative model, Major Accident Control Analysis (MACA), based around the prevention of fatalities by exploring and quantifying the following control parameters: 1) controls pre and/or post event, 2) the control type, and 3) the effectiveness of the specific control. By assigning these control parameters, discrete values, comparisons between individual ‘risk’ scenarios and established numerical acceptability risk criteria are possible. The theoretical proposition of this research was tested using detailed case studies to highlight the flaws of conventional risk analysis and, instead, accentuate control effectiveness as a superior method for prioritising risk and determine acceptability. The results of the research demonstrate that control effectiveness, utilised by the MACA method, is particularly valuable when limited data is available to permit quantification, data is too generalised for the operating conditions and where qualitative risk estimates are insufficient and inappropriate to prevent fatalities. MACA employs mathematically valid algorithms previously not envisaged nor developed by earlier methodologies. Importantly, these algorithms enable an interchangeable conversion of control effectiveness ‘values’ to risk ‘values’. Beyond the immediate findings of the research, the additional benefits of control effectiveness are multiple. The principles are suitable to the dynamic nature of the minerals industry, yet are highly adaptable and can be readily applied beyond the field of mining. The methodology could be applied to any circumstance where traditional risk analysis is typically undertaken, thus demonstrating broader application and significance. Furthermore, the methodology is compatible with, and complementary to, existing risk approaches. The intrinsic flexibility offered by this alternative method makes provision for international variations of risk criteria used to determine ‘acceptability’. It is thus determined that the application of control effectiveness estimation offers benefits over and beyond those currently employed.

Background The costs of healthcare are on the rise. With an ageing population, growing demand for health services and expensive new technologies, Australia’s annual health care bill has more than doubled in the last ten years, and is projected to increase a further 127% by 2033. As third-party provider of health care, the Government must make difficult decisions about how best to allocate limited resources to the many new and existing drugs, technologies and health services available for prevention and treatment of disease. Cost-effectiveness analysis of interventions can help identify those that should be given funding priority in order to maximise population health, but its use in allocating resources to prevention has been limited. There have been few cost-effectiveness analyses of preventive interventions, particularly for the potentially more effective strategies targeting the whole population, such as taxation, regulation and community campaigns. Current methods are poorly designed for capturing the change in population distribution of risk that can occur with these types of interventions. Use of cost-effectiveness analysis has also been limited by the use of many different (and often simplistic) modelling methods and assumptions that prevent league table comparison of results to help identify most cost-effective strategies. This thesis presents new methods for evaluating cost-effectiveness of preventive interventions, with application to interventions promoting physical activity, preventing alcohol misuse, reducing body mass, promoting fruits and vegetables and reducing dietary salt intake, from an Australian health sector perspective. Methods Proportional multi-state life table models were developed for each risk factor and for risk factor combinations, using population impact fraction (PIF) functions to quantify the potential intervention impact of a change in individual or population risk factor exposure on disease and injury. The models were used to simulate population health in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and costs of disease treatment, over the lifetime of the Australian population in 2003, for a range of individual- and populationtargeted interventions using intervention costs and effects derived from Australian cost data and published evaluation studies. Monte-Carlo analysis was used to derive uncertainty around all outcome measures, and sensitivity of results to key modelling choices and assumptions was also evaluated. Cost-effectiveness of six physical activity interventions, ten alcohol interventions, two body mass interventions, 23 fruit and vegetable interventions and four dietary salt interventions was evaluated in comparison to current Australian practice. In addition, where multiple mutually-exclusive interventions were evaluated, a partial null (‘no current practice intervention’) scenario was calculated and cost-effectiveness of incrementally adding each intervention to a package was evaluated, to determine the optimal intervention mix and to compare optimal outcomes with the current practice. Findings For physical activity, a package of six individual- and population-targeted interventions is cost-effective and could avert a third of disease burden attributable to physical inactivity. For reducing alcohol misuse, a package of eight individual- and population-targeted interventions could avert a third of disease burden attributable to hazardous and heavy levels of drinking. Although the current practice of random breath testing is cost-effective, if the expenditure on random breath testing had been distributed to more cost-effective interventions, around ten times the improvement in population health could have been achieved. The individually-targeted interventions for body mass, fruits and vegetables and salt intake are not cost-effective. Providing incentives for food industry to reduce salt in processed foods, on the other hand, is far more effective in improving population health and can lead to cost-saving for the health sector in the long term. if (moderate) reductions in salt were made mandatory for food manufacturers, around 20 times the health gains achieved by the current voluntary program could be achieved. Overall, eight interventions are potentially cost-saving for the health sector: voluntary and mandatory limits on salt in processed foods; mass media- and pedometer-based community campaigns to promote physical activity; a community program to promote fruits and vegetables; and volumetric taxation, advertising bans and an increase of the minimum legal drinking age to 21 years to address alcohol misuse. A further 12 interventions for reducing alcohol misuse, and promoting physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption, are under a $50,000 per DALY threshold of costeffectiveness, and are also recommended for health sector investment. Implications The integration of a proportional multi-state life table model with PIF function in this research has proved to have a number of advantages over previous modelling methods. The PIF function enables better simulation of the true continuous distribution of risk in the population, and facilitates analysis of population-targeted interventions that shift the whole distribution of risk. It also substantially simplifies the integration of multiple risk factors into the one model, which was previously constrained by the need to create separate states for every risk factor category (e.g. active and inactive) and risk factor categories in combination (e.g. obese and active, obese and inactive, etc.). This not only makes for easier and more accurate analyses of interventions targeting multiple risk factors, but enables evaluation of packages of many different risk factor interventions. Further investment in preventive interventions is highly recommended. The population-targeted approaches hold most promise for improving population health. Although there is potential for opposition from industry stakeholders and public concern around Government paternalism, these interventions have most potential to generate cost-savings for the health sector in the long-term. Given the weaker evidence around effectiveness of these interventions, however, it is recommended that programs are implemented with sufficient funding for monitoring and evaluation of outcomes.

Although there are well-documented benefits from influenza vaccine and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (23vPPV) against invasive pneumococcal disease and laboratory confirmed influenza, their effectiveness against pneumonia remains controversial for community-based persons aged >=65years. At the time of this research, within Australia, only the government of Victoria publicly funded these vaccines for elderly persons. With continued growth of the elderly population, the subsequent adoption of an Australia-wide program, and increasing uptake of similar programs in other countries, there is a need for data clarifying the impact of vaccination on pneumonia. This research estimates incremental vaccine effectiveness of 23vPPV over and above influenza vaccine against hospitalisation with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the elderly.

Post-exercise recovery techniques are being used increasingly in elite sport, but scientific study in this area is only emerging. The aim of this study was to collect information on the use and perceived effectiveness of the different recovery techniques used with athletes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 Queensland Academy of Sport coaches and other high-performance coaches from seven sports (three team sports and four individual sports). The interview questions sought to examine the coaches’ understanding of recovery, personal experiences, and the modalities and techniques used with their athletes. Interviews lasted an average of 45 minutes and were transcribed for qualitative content analysis and checked for accuracy by the coaches. Triangular consensus was used throughout the coding process to constantly revisit and redefine the open and axial codes that emerged. Three themes emerged: understanding of recovery, recovery modalities used, and monitoring of recovery. Understanding of recovery relates to the coaches’ overall view and general understanding of recovery. Coaches reported that recovery consisted of physical, mental and neural components, and is important to the overall performance, repeated performance, and training of athletes. Coaches gained their recovery knowledge from a variety of sources across their own athlete and coaching pathways. Transferring this knowledge to athletes was perceived as important for enabling athletes to implement and adhere to recovery within their training plans. The recovery modalities used most often were low-intensity activity, stretching, nutrition, massage, contrast water immersion, cryotherapy, sleep and rest. Practicality and accessibility (e.g., time and cost) for the athletes’ daily training environment were key factors influencing use of different recovery modalities. Coaches reported that they applied recovery modalities according to their own past coaching experiences or experiences of other coaches and sport science professionals. It appeared that coaches learn recovery information best by watching and speaking with others, especially other coaches and sports personnel. Factors contributing to use of recovery modalities include convenience and accessibility of a modality. Time restraint was an evident factor. Other factors that seem to contribute to the use of recovery modalities include the awareness of a modality’s existence, perceived modality strength of effect (or negative effect), and the compliance with and attitude of athletes to the modality. The personal experience of a coach using specific recovery modalities also impacted on whether the coach prescribed the modality and encouraged athletes to use the modality. However, it was clear from the study that athletes need to take responsibility for applying the recovery modalities themselves mainly because of logistical reasons. Recovery was monitored most often through informal observation rather than formal investigation. The most common monitoring approaches were coach observation and athlete reporting (diaries and discussions). Some coaches indicated that using a combination of approaches is useful and effective for gaining maximal benefits. Further investigation of monitoring approaches and prioritising them in terms of ease of implementation are needed. In summary, this study provided insight into the use of recovery modalities in elite sport and implications for use by professionals assisting coaches and athletes. In light of the limited research in some areas of recovery, a network could be established to capture the coaches’ learned experiences and information on recovery to share with each other across different sports.